"Listen to me, I'm going to tell you this once, I did not . . ." -President William Jefferson Clinton

In January 1998, we as a nation embarked on a journey. This journey began slowly, with
a statement by William Jefferson Clinton; a statement which was communicated to the
Cabinet, politicians, and directly to the American people. This statement was a denial of
an "inappropriate" relationship. Unfortunately, instead of bringing closure to
rumors and speculation, this assertion quickly took on a life of its own. T.V. talk show
ratings soared as pundits debated the subject. Parents were confronted with questions
about how to talk with their young children about these explicit topics. And civic
teachers had to address the use of graphic language in their classrooms.

As this "denial phenomena" grew, uncertainty gripped the financial community
and we began to see wild fluctuations in the stock market. The nation was quickly
polarized into camps. One camp said "hey, this is private," the other camp said
"the public has a right to know." Then, in September of this year, it was
revealed that the above statement by William Jefferson Clinton was false.

The bumpy road ahead Politics aside, we as a nation are going to be facing a bumpy road ahead. The
journey began with the denial, and will end at some point in the distant future with some
type of resolution and closure. The road will involve hearing details that many would
prefer not to hear. It will involve a nightly barrage from news commentators fixated on
one subject. And, as with the O.J. trail, books will be written and careers will be made.

During this process some people will be hurt, government officials will be humiliated
and embarrassed. Many will demand that we put this whole issue aside - that we just let it
go. But, we are going to have to go through this. The process is going to cause a great
deal of uneasiness and insecurity, not only at home but also abroad. We will, as a nation,
be both, at our most vulnerable, and at our strongest. Vulnerable, because the integrity
of our leader will be under examination; strongest, because we have the determination to
find the truth and decide, based on the facts, what a just punishment will be.

Silver lining Is there a silver lining to all of this? Sure. You may want to fill in the blanks
for yourself, but for me there are a couple of issues that stand out. First, I enjoy
writing, so as this process has unfolded, it's been a letter writer's paradise. I've
written the White House more times in the last month than in my entire lifetime. I've sent
letters to Congressional Representatives and Senators on a daily basis. I've also used
this crisis as an opportunity to learn about how government works, the House, the Senate,
and the various committees. In fact, I've been so obsessed with this current scandal that
I'm even considering taking a trip to Washington, D.C., to get a first-hand look at where
and how things work.

In spite of my "silver lining," this is not going to be a pretty spectacle as
we move forward in the investigative process. In fact, it's going to be downright bumpy!

The definition of bumpy Just so there's no confusion about definitions . . . bumpy means day after day of
never-ending talk of censure and impeachment. Day after day of world leaders asking if
we're capable of maintaining the role as the world's super power.

And if the recent wild fluctuations in the stock market are any indiction of things to
come, then it would be wise to assume there will be more of the same. I think it would be
advisable to prepare for the worst - economic uncertainty, global uncertainty, and
political uncertainty. Hope for the best, and let the chips fall where they will. This too
will pass, and in the end, we'll all be a little wiser, and a little stronger.